Much like a serpent in the sky, The Connection's back tail was flipping up and down as the pilot, Qyx was circling Earth. "Just take us down nice and slow." Qyx winced as she had one scaly hand on a large blue lever and the other clutching a tour guide book for New York City. "Connector, please!" The ship took a quick dive down and Qyx surrendered to the finicky ship and just grabbed onto the sides of her pilot chair. The Connection slipped into stealth mode and easily swam past a large satellite. "How unrefined and useless, how can they enjoy themselves, with so much clutter hanging around?" Qyx huffed as her ship continued to flow towards the large North American continent. Her small heart fluttered as she saw the familiar sights of the green and blue planet. Earth was an interesting planet to her. With her ship, she could go back in time and watch it take shape.

She could even chat with the locals before they invents the horrible canon and gun.

Or she could go into the hopeful future and make sure they were still behaving themselves, sort of anyway.

Qyx was an explorer and scholar. She was interested in culture and communication and thus far, Earth was the most diverse. Her counterparts back on XYD were not fond of sharing a ship and exploring with her. They were her friends but the idea of forced interactions, even for the greater good, was something most XYDNS shied away from. Still, her purple planet was home and she loved it, which was why, she continued to task herself with exploring the unknown. While they knew a lot about the practices, universal currency, and dangers around them, her planet was still in the dark about a lot of things. She was given The Connection to help expand their knowledge of everyone else. Qyx wasn't sure how long it would take but she was happier to focus on the present, rather than the daunting task and the pressure of failing during her lifetime.

In human years, she could be compared to that of someone in their late twenties though people on XYD have no birthday and only show signs of aging by their voice and the hardening of their scales. Most people live quite long, and the longer one lives, the more respect they are given. Of course there is a mutual respect and kindness among her people already. Disputes are infrequent but lately, Qyx has noticed unrest between the young and the old and while she is happy to be an honest mediator, it is not something she enjoys. Exploring and learning is what makes her happy. As the coordinates guided them downward, she got to her feet and rested a scaly palm on the controls. "Keep the cloaking device on please, Connector." She instructed and walked out of the main control room and walked down a long sleek hallway.

After a minute's walk, she found a staircase rise from the floor.

She walked up and entered her quarters.

Her people weren't ones to dwell on fashion or appearance but since her trip with Nathan and Julie, the two human companions she adopted last go around, she has learned to adapt and be more forgiving of Earth's frivolous customs. Slipping on a yellow cotton skirt and a green tank top to cover her bare chest, she finished her look by draping a brown shawl over herself, including her head to mimic a hook. Qyx was already anxious with the addition of clothes but tried to push the inconvenience out of her head. 'Here we go.' She thought to herself. For a moment, she missed Nathan and Julie, they taught her so much about Earth and how to speak English. Julie was a lawyer in Ireland and Nathan had been a young man from India. As much as she wanted to reach back out to them, they both expressed strong interest to live the rest of their lives on Earth, without contact until their last day on Earth.

But both had requested to see one another on their last living day.

It was a reunion to look forward to, in a very bittersweet way.

The weight of knowledge, knowing who lives and dies when, was something Qyx often confided in Corrector. Even though her ship was not human and only an intelligent program, it gave Qyx some comfort. As Qyx stepped out of her quarters and headed down the long tail to one of the doors, she checked the local time. It was two minutes to three in the morning. She stepped out and admired the parking. The Connection was slipped between trees, the tail weaving between them while remaining invisible to any human onlookers. Qyx made her way out of the trees and approached the tennis courts. Some people were gathered and she tried not to let herself get too excited. "G-good evening." Or was it morning?! She greeted them while keeping her vibrant skin as hidden as possible as she surveyed the group. "What brings you all here?" She asked, trying to remember how English worked, it was so tricky!

Jennifer Rather had been the first to arrive at the tennis courts.

At a quarter past two.

Waiting wasn't a big deal to the elder professor from California.

In fact, the anticipation was a great change for her. Jennifer passed the time by looking up at the sky though much to her annoyance but acceptance, no stars were visible. The lights of the city were too bright to welcome any stars or planets into their sky it seemed. Jen was looking for excitement and that was why she was waiting for a possible alien named Qyx who promised adventure. She remembered the days of Star Trek and Star Wars. Jen wasn't sure what to expect, in her heart, it didn't feel like a joke. So she was happy to wait as long as it took. More people arrived, all with varying degrees of emotions. She had a small duffel bag packed beside her as she sat on one of the benches on the side of the tennis court. She saw people make small talk but for the most part, no one spoke as the time ticked by.

Jen had her legs crossed over as she looked around her. They were surrounded by woods, the sound of traffic unable to penetrate their hideaway. There were small lamp posts around the courts so she took out one of her old weathered journals and began to jot down her feelings and observations thus far. She enjoyed people watching and often did it in her classes but right now, she wanted to remember everything. Every moment, every thought and feeling. Jennifer was a woman who loved to record things and analyze them so for now, she was happy to distract herself with some musings. As she was finishing up, someone else arrived and it wasn't until she spoke, that Jen raised her head and offered her own attention to the timid newcomer.

"Adventure brings me here." She spoke up loudly.

"I have nothing better to do!" A young man raised his hand. He had blue eyes and smooth straight short brown hair. "I mean, it's this, go back to my parents' flat in London or my wife in Japan and to be honest, neither sounds quite brilliant." He said and then flashed everyone a smile. He had arrived around 2:50 AM and hadn't had the pleasure of mingling with everyone that much. Devon had been trying to grab a bite to eat on his way to the park though he didn't leave himself much time to navigate it but thankfully he wasn't late. His accent was pretty noticeable but in such a city like New York, it wasn't that special or anything. The boy could be mistaken for your typical rich boy who was bored and lacked ambition but that was far from the truth.

His upbringing was strict but warm.

His parents were well off but it wasn't as though they didn't work. They did. They worked hard to put good food on the table. They didn't hire help or anything like that. They did have nice cars and a second home in France, but that was still being paid off. Devon was passionate and hardworking. He loved to bake and share his treats with everyone. When he went to university, he often baked extra and handed them out to people. He did well in exams and if he needed a tutor, he wasn't too prideful to accept help. He was a ladies man on campus and that was how he ended up marrying so young. He thought romance was easy though and didn't consider that you had to be friends with your wife, not just lovers. Devon had some serious relationships in past, before Yunko but he was beginning to see that not everyone could be solved with a smile or laugh.

Real relationships took work and it was hard for him to make the effort. He was young and he needed to experience life before it escaped his grasp.

Part of the reasons for his sudden thirst for alien adventure was that he wanted to see that life was complicated and beautiful and that it could help him see it in his own personal endeavors. Having kids? Moving to a new country? It was a lot for him to soak up and he regretted his rash decisions but he hoped this wouldn't be another one. "And to be honest, I'd love to see things, learn about how other people eat." He added brightly, his jesting tone subsiding as he added more sincere substance to his comments. "I'm a baker." Devon clarified and finally dropped his hand and rubbed his neck a little, his politeness coming back quickly. "Sorry." He looked around, hoping he hadn't stepped on anyone's toes. He looked over to see an elderly woman get to her feet and walk over to them. Did he interrupt her?

He physically cringed and ducked his head.

"I bet you nab all the ladies with that skill." Jennifer nudged Devon slightly, not at all bothered by him speaking up. She glanced back over at the cloaked stranger. Some people had introduced themselves but some hadn't. She wondered if the latest addition was Qyx, the one they were supposedly waiting for. Devon dropped his hand from his neck and grinned at Jennifer and then looked to where she was looking, at the strange woman. "Why are you here...?" Jen asked, her small black leather spiral notebook still in hand, her bag back by one of the lights, on the side of the tennis court. Jennifer glanced around and felt a breeze blow by. She pulled out her cell phone, an Galaxy S4 and checked the time. It was now 3 AM. Holding her breath, she stepped to the side. "Are you Qyx?"

"Yes...I am." Qyx replied and removed the brown fabric to reveal her textured skin with tones of green and yellow.

Devon's eyed widened and he recoiled.

The art was amazing. Whoever did it was a professional.

Is was surely fake...? Right?

"I cannot believe it." Jennifer breathed, her heart slowing down. "In all my years...this moment is really here..."

"My name is...Qyx...like..." She thought for a moment of how to explain her name to the Earthlings. "Like the word...quicks?" She mentioned, inflection showing that she wasn't sure if that was the right word or even a word, for that matter. "I'm from a distant planet and I'd like some company." She said, trying to seem more competent confident as she normally was but introductions were always hard for her in English. Still, she was improving every day. Qyx then gave them a gentle smile and glanced back to her ship and gestured to it, "Come on, this is my ship...she is called The Connection." As she introduced said ship, it suddenly appeared and the bushes and woodwork bent down to allow for its weight and intrusion. "It's quite safe...unless you are a-accident prone." She joked a little and looked back to the humans.

Jennifer quickly darted back, picked up her bag and ran over to it. "Oh yes, please! Make way! Here I come! You don't have to ask me twice!" The manic professor cheered and stood next to it, glowing with a wide grin.

Devon meanwhile, was more uneasy and looked to the others to see what they thought about everyone. Was this all real?

Was it really happening?

The lights illuminating the tennis courts burned harshly in Linda’s eyes as she stood around, waiting, with everyone else who must’ve been drawn to the place by the strange note. The teenager struggled to rub the sleep out of her eyes, having forbade herself from drinking any additional caffeine to keep herself up. She certainly didn’t want to fall down that slope. Shit, is this what withdrawal feels like…? she asked herself, not accustomed to staying up so late at night, with-or-without chemicals. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten so used to that shit…!!

Linda stood in the tennis court with an oversized backpack she’d packed haphazardly earlier that evening, with the nagging thought that she was forgetting something that plagues just about everyone when they’re packing for something big. Or at least, when she might be packing for something big. Linda was still rather skeptical that the flier she’d found implied any real offer at all. She hadn’t notified her mother that she’d be going on any sort of special trip, hadn’t packed enough clothes to last her more than a day or two, and she certainly didn’t think she was actually going on some sort of outer-space adventure… In fact, just to be safe, she did pack pepper spray.

Glancing around the area, Linda noticed that there weren’t as many kids her age there as she for some reason expected there to be. Instead, she found quite a few older adults, leaving her to pace around the outskirts of the group a bit awkwardly, not super willing to engage in conversation with anyone. She found herself flicking her phone out of her pocket every 30 seconds or so to check for the time, her patience beginning to wear thin given how exhausted she was. It was times like these she kind of wished she had a smartphone — just to pass the time with Angry Bird or Flappy Bird or whatever sort of bird had made itself popular at that time. Instead, her phone was a simpler model — one she didn’t even know the exact name of as it probably didn’t even have a fancy name. It wasn’t a super-basic flip-phone, though. It had a touch screen, and a keyboard, and apparently some degree of internet connectivity, not that she had a data plan for that sort of thing, anyway. It was good for calling and texting but not much more. Her reasoning behind not having a fancy phone wasn’t because she couldn’t afford one, though, but rather because she was a bit hesitant to join this smartphone craze. She’d witnessed too many people glued to their phones 24/7, and heard too many stories of people dying because they had their phones out while trying to drive or something, not to mention the notion that people these days seemed to be way too dependent on Google to solve problems — or so she heard that was a major problem with her generation. Linda really didn’t want to become one of those selfie-addicted sheep. As she waited without any form of handheld entertainment for something to happen, she made a conscious effort to hide her occasional yawning.

She brought her eyes up from the display that read “2:59” for the tenth time as one more individual approached the group — this one wearing a rather horribly-put-together outfit. Then again, given the fact that this woman wore something covering her head, Linda shrugged the bad color-coordination off, thinking, maybe it’s a religious thing.

Only half-listening to this newcomer’s words, though, Linda’s attention came into full-focus and her eyes locked onto the alien as she revealed her scaly features. “Woah woah woah hold on!” Linda spoke up, hastily making her way through the crowd and closer to the extra-terrestrial. “Woah… so you’re our supposed alien, right?” she asked, the slightly crumpled and many-times folded flier now visible in her hand. She spent a few minutes admiring Qyx’s look, thinking it seemed familiar… and then it hit her. “Wait, holy shit, I know who you’re supposed to be! You look just like… like this alien I saw on this show a few weeks back, only pieces of it though — but yeah that sci-fi on that British channel that’s been kind of popular lately. I’m blanking out on the title — something about a doctor — but yeah you look just like that lizard-chick who wears that thing over her face!” she explained, making some sort of hand gesture that was meant to signify the veil worn by the certain alien character she was thinking of. “So like… is this some sort of Comicon thing?” she asked, attempting to understand a facet of nerd culture that she really wasn’t a part of.

Her heart jumped a bit when the Connector suddenly came into view, though — suddenly not all that sure that this was a “Comicon thing” after all. “How… how did you do that?” Linda asked Qyx, her face having gone from smiling amusement to a more serious, perplexed expression. Almost concerned-looking. This girl here… she couldn’t have been a real alien or something. No, that just… wasn’t possible, right?

I hope this is fucking legit Maverick sighed once more as doubt set in like the morning frost that beset the taxi cab's window. He palmed his face held rigid by his elbow on the car door, street lights illuminating his tired features. He figured the city would retain more heat, and he gave a worried glance at his potted pot plant nestled in his jacket on the seat next to him. Maverick then noticed that the taxi cab driver gave the plant the same worried look. Although obviously for different reasons. With New York not being a state that has recently legalized or decriminalized marijuana, Maverick was performing a felony by toting around his darling sinsemilla. Her name was Sydney, and there was no way Maverick was going to part with this plant. If he was going off world, fuggit, he was going to bring it and he paid the taxi driver well enough to be his accomplice. Cops were the last of his worries. He had given up all of his assets and his house, and his business which was erected from the ground up by his beloved brother. All his money went to charity, and he even broke up with all three of his girlfriends and told them goodbye, accompanying it with some cryptic story (a well bullshitted story) about how he was going to a foreign land for a dangerous mission. The break up sex was amazing. To him, it was technically the truth, or a version of it. Veracity wasn't his best quality.

His instinct was steadfast however, and it told him that this opportunity was real. Still the doubt lingered like the early morning fog rising from the heated concrete. The taxi lurched to a slow stop. "Is this it?"

"Yeh kid. What you're looking for is just a block or two up that way."
Maverick nodded, grabbed his plant and jacket, and then retrieved his duffel bag from the trunk. He then proceeded to walk as the taxi sped away, likely glad to finally get rid of the illegal cargo it had previously been carrying. The young man was outfitted in a loose charcoal black NorthFace jacket, unzipped and open to reveal a blood red shirt with a black anarcho capitalism symbol decorating the front, and some practical dark leather colored cargo pants. His shoes were custom nike, yellow and gold, with the word Debauchery along the heel. If there was anything about his character that painted him as a deviant, Maverick was positive it was the shoes.

He began walking, closing in on his destination. At this point, he was just letting his instincts do the walking for him. 2:58. Damn. It was getting close, and he wasn't sure exactly where he was. He stopped on a street corner staring at the signs. He was always bad with directions. The ambiance was nice though, and he took a moment to enjoy the faraway rumble of semi trucks, the mewing of a cat in heat up an alley, and the candid ringing of a donut shop door behind him... Including the stupefied yet aggressive, "Hey! Are you seriously carrying a pot plant!?" Maverick spun on his heel, which said Debauchery, and sights the buzzkill of two officers of the law.
This totally kills my high. They eyed his plant and his shirt, and began to approach him. So, he did what any level headed citizen would do.
"GOONGALA!!" He chucked his duffle bag at the officers and sprinted in a different direction with his plant clutched tightly. There was no way he was parting with his baby. His erratic response to the officers would likely leave them stunned for at least a few seconds, enough to ditch them. They probably weren't even following him, just scratching their head over the crazy well dressed white kid that had just yelled something unrecognizable and chucked his belongings at them.
He ran and he ran. At least for three minutes. 3:01 FUCK! Where am I going? As soon as he began to believe he was lost, his instincts put it into clutch. Oh hey. He rubbed his chin as the tennis court denizens encompassed his view.

"How... did you do that?"
Maverick stepped onto the court and approached the alien and the admiring yet hesitant girl, slowly. He knew he was right. Fuck yes. This is so cool. He giggled in his mind like a giddy school girl attending her first prom. Plus, the alien chick was kind of hot. In a scaly colorful way. Maverick physically shook his head to rid his male member of cognitive control, and began prioritizing. Sydney. He cleared his voice and began in a worried tone, "Errm hey... that's your.. ship right?" He motioned towards the ship, fully accepting the suspension of disbelief. To him, he had no time to question, no time for exposition, only for manly action on behalf of his sinsemilla, "You wouldn't happen to allow for plants right? I'm sure you might collect Earth samples or something right?" Cultured images and stories of alien abductions and the type of "samples" they collected flashed through his mind, stopping him in his approach.

What if this is a trap? To get my man juices and make genetic experiments, the thought horrified him, but slightly amused (aroused?) him, and he continued indulging, Well if its done gently.... no anal.... I wouldn't mind. Alright, I'm still game!
His resolve tested and triumphant he continued, "You see, my plant here, her name is Sydney," the care in his tone exposed him, "She needs some warmth. Would there be suitable accommodations on your ship? Ma'm?" Sir? He didn't know, but the mystery of it all intrigued (aroused?) him.
Life out in the Universe is going to be kick ass.

And the sound of sirens somewhere could be heard.

Nathaniel stared at the bedside clock. 1:47. He thought briefly about how strange it seemed to enumerate each moment in the day, to give time quantity, to give it thinginess. After a few minutes of further pondering about the matter, he decided that it would be better left to philosophers and such. He was a mathematician, somebody who dealt with things far less abstract than nebulous philosophical concepts. 1:51. Why would an alien bother coming to Earth? Presumably, if a civilization had the technology to travel between star systems in a timely manner, then they could probably just observe us from somewhere far enough away to avoid detection by the myriad of satellites in low-Earth orbit. Detection could be disastrous, if the Earthlings got a good enough look at you.

That train of thought trailed off as Nathaniel drifted back to sleep. The clock dutifully kept time as he slept, as that's all it knew how to do. About forty minutes later he woke up. 2:31. He cursed into his pillow when he saw the time. He needed to get moving if he wanted to get to the meeting place in time. He picked up his belongings and hurried down to the main lobby of the hotel. He quickly checked out, although the person at the desk in the main lobby barely acknowledged his existence as he dd so, and then he ran out to his car. It was about 2:45 AM at this point, and he estimated that it would take him about ten minutes to get to Central Park from the hotel, if he was lucky. He didn't trust his luck, unfortunately, and groaned as he realized that he was most likely not going to be there in time. As it turned out, he was right to not trust his luck, as he seemed to hit every single red light. He parked his car and then started to run towards where he thought the tennis courts in Central Park would be. He had only been there once before, but fortunately, he found his way to the tennis courts. He took a seat on one of the benches on the side of the court and checked his phone, it was 2:58. Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief, he would not be late for whatever it was that was going to happen here.

He looked up from his phone and took a look around. There were some other people here, one of which was dressed quite strangely, as if one had taken random items out of someone's wardrobe and thrown them on somebody, and then on top of that threw on a shawl that certainly didn't match, but covered the individual's face. If there was anyone that would be an alien here, it would most likely be that person. If not, then at the very least their tastes in clothing were alien. A couple people were talking to the oddly dressed individual, although he couldn't quite make out what they were talking about, not that he was really trying to. After a moment the strangely dressed individual removed the shawl, and Nathaniel's eyes widened slightly at what he saw. Either this was an elaborate hoax, or this really was an alien, as its face certainly didn't look human. Even if it wasn't a hoax he wanted to stay around to see what happened. Nathaniel picked up his backpack and walked a bit closer towards the awkwardly dressed...thing. As he did so he saw it gestured towards what he could only assume was its ship, which was certainly unlike anything of earthly make. Somebody holding a plant barged past him and started to babble to the alien; apparently the plant the man was holding meant something to him, as he had even named it. While the appearance of the alien intrigued him, the behavior of this man was certainly out of this world.

This would be a night to remember, regardless of how this meeting shaped up.

Jamie closed the apartment door behind him and finished the beer in his hand. He decided to stop drinking. He had a few reasons for this. The main one being that he wanted full used of his facilities walking the streets so late at night. This could also be some elaborate hoax used to kidnap or rob anyone who believed in this nonsense. Then again, it could be real. How cool would that be? He thought to himself. He then shook his head. No, that was just the alcohol in his system talking. He would go to the park, see that this was all some elaborate "I got you" and he'd head home.

He hadn't ever really walked the streets this late before or was it early? For such a big city, it was surprisingly calm. The breeze blew gently as Jamie could hear cars diving off in the distance. He stood for a second and just enjoyed the calmness. The times he normally came out here there were cars and people everywhere. The epitome of big city life. Jamie liked it thought. It made the city feel alive to him. He smiled to himself. Even if this was all just some crazy prank, it was nice to get out on a night like tonight. He started back on his walk to the park.

Within several minutes he saw the rows of trees that bordered the park. He pulled out his phone, It was a few minutes to three as he entered the park. He pulled the crumpled flyer out of his pocket and read it again. He headed to where it indicated the meeting spot would be. As he got closer he could hear the murmur of voices in the distance. There was also another noise he couldn't quite place. Like an engine hum. He rolled his eyes as he strode forward. "Time to find out what this thing is all about." He thought to himself. As he came into view of where the small group of people stood, they casually looked at him, then went back to waiting, or talking to each other.

He stood towards the edge of the haphazard circle of people, Jamie's eyes focused on someone new. What caught his gaze was not that they were new, but because of their clothing. They were covered up in a random mix of fabrics. It's head was covered like one of those religious people. He shrugged to himself. Suddenly they spoke. They asked what brought each person here. Some spoke up, some did not. Jamie remained silent. Just watching everyone. "This is more than just a bit odd." He thought to himself. He looked at his phone. It was a little past three. He'd give it a few more minutes until he headed home.

Suddenly the person who spoke removed the fabric that was covering their face. As the fabric fell back, revealing her scaly features. Jamie about fell out. This was real and this was happening. Her words became lost on him as her ship slowly became visible. He found himself drawn to it inexplicably. He walked like a toddler going for a cookie, unsure of himself and arms out. He reached the bow of the ship and looked up in awe of it. The alien, Qyx, had said something to him, but it fell on deaf ears. Jamie stood there, neck craned up at the ship. His mouth wide open like he hadn't been taught any better.

If Nicole Gracie Rossum was still deepening her debt in the throes of education, she would have spent what would forever be known as “that night” rereading the same few paragraphs on social phenomena and not understanding a single syllable of any of it. In a cramped little dorm room at a wooden desk too many days past its retirement date, she would have been contemplating her life and what she was doing with it. Sure, she would be toting a glorious paper framed in a cheap Target-bought frame that declared Nick graduated… but in a field leading her nowhere but to a comfy little cubicle job most likely not at all dealing with a single lick of what she studied.

Or letting her flesh meld with the cracked leather of the sofa. Nick wasn’t picky.

The pressure, the stress, the overwhelming and undying questioning all became too much. It made her anxious, releasing flurries of butterflies in her chest that made her heart spasm and made her throat swell; she became prone to breaking down into fits of sobs and a swallowing bout of depression. The future terrified her, made her want to curl up, sleep, and forget it still needed to happen. She didn’t know what she was doing or what she wanted to be doing. Tears were shed too often; her face lost weight and color, looking gaunt and drained. But her stomach found them and couldn’t look more jovial in its unhealthy happiness. Lectures and tutorials were better spent doodling and trying to send telepathic messages to everyone around her – ‘cough if you can hear me… now. Okay, cough… now. Nnnnnnow. Now!’ It never worked, and yet still she kept trying. Anything to distract herself from the important tasks at hand – which she was very well aware was a horrible work ethic. Those moments of genuine excuses as to why she couldn’t get around to finishing assignments, essays and chapter readings were what she lived for. Anything to postpone grown-up responsibility.

Time flew by before she knew it. Almost two months seamlessly gone. She lost friends and gained new ones – mostly in the form of cheap vodka and rum. She lost respect from professors and TA’s when she secured a reputation for failing to hand in assignments or attend lessons. She lost interest in the daily things that kept her going and discovered she could move her eyebrows to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” when the blue hue of her laptop monitor burned neon stains into her retina late every night. Life had reached a stalemate, and Nick wasn’t fully sure she wanted to force her way forward and hope for the best. Because going forward was what made her witness the way the sky changed from a deep purple to streaks of dusty gold and gray bi-weekly when sleep just couldn’t engulf her, and there was nothing beautiful about it.

And she had been feeling that way since the first moment she stepped foot on campus, three years prior. She was restless, crumbly and ready to loathe herself. She didn’t like herself like that.

Everything, all wrapped in a pretty bow of anxiety and fear, was why Nick decided it was time to “take a break”. Too long she spent with shouldering a life she would’ve tossed aside had she had the bravery to. For the time being it was only a semester; she planned to stay at home, recollect herself and actually map out the rest of her education to get a better idea of what makes sense and what is entirely foolish.

There lurked a little pessimistic devil in the back of her mind, whispering beautiful words of advice on dropping out and working in retail. She hushed it, sticking to the “one semester off” rule, but secretly listened to it when she let her mind wander.

There would always be time to settles on things later, she told herself on the trip home.

There was always time.

~*~

It had been four days since Nick first replanted the fine outline of her body in the old, stained mattress in what was her old bedroom. It was where she stayed every summer, amongst the mildewed boxes and fake Christmas tree that spluttered out plumes of glitter every time Nick bumped its bristly, plastic arms. Nick hated those flashy festivities, the kind where garland and seasonal pastries and obscurely scented candles were vomited over everything. Nothing smelled worse than burning “First Snowfall” and “Thanksgiving Dinner” candle combos. Pumpkin spiced-everything had been circling the city for a while now. It was dreadful.

Speaking of pumpkin, the faint scent of pumpkin pie baking in the oven wafted in through the open door, and for just a second Nick let herself draw in a heavy breath of the stuff. How her nostrils reveled in that orange goodness…

“Woah, mama… forgive me Lord, for this girl will sin hard later,” Nick muttered. Mental images of whipped cream-covered pie waltzed to the forefront of her mind. There was no doubt that Nick was the embodiment of gluttony. If it was edible, it would be eaten. Even if it wasn’t edible… it could still be tried – for science.

So maybe she didn’t hate pumpkin-everything, which was quickly proven as she couldn’t resist following the invisible scent trails to the kitchen, her nose held high in the air and getting high off the fumes. Her mother sat at the table, clicking her tongue and sighing as her meaty fingers tried poorly to compose a text message. It was adorable, watching Ma work a flip phone. Nick never offered to help. It was more entertaining to watch the robust woman learn about technology.

No one even used flip phones anymore. It was pure precious nostalgia.

“Where’s everyone at?” Nick asked. Grapes were left out in a bowl on the island countertop. Green, with their bottoms browning. Nick popped one into her mouth and took a bite – paused, slowly stuck out her tongue and let the grape roll into her palm. She pretended the light trickle of blood she suddenly tasted was entirely because of an open sore. Exactly that and nothing else.

“Out,” Ma answered after too long of a pause. Little beeps filled the empty stretches of silence as she continued to try and text.

“Well now, don’t dump that speech on me all at once,” Nick murmured.

It was never that Nick expected a classy whore hidden in a cake to greet her at her homecoming, but a little more excitement, support and enthusiasm would have been appreciated. Instead, Nick had gotten into several arguments with Ma since returning home; Robby hadn’t come around home since his last girlfriend coerced him into moving in “full-time this time!”; and Rick spent every waking moment just asking for someone to deck him square in that pretty little lady’s jaw of his. Ted, Nick’s oldest brother, was the only one who conjured up a minute effort to make Nick feel at home.

He bought her chocolate and gave her a box of Morning After pills, sternly saying: “tell me who he is and I’ll wreck him.”

Apparently he misunderstood Nick when she said she had put on a lot of weight, was feeling stressed and sick “just one semester in”.

No one ever corrected him and said he was thinking of “trimester”. It was funnier that way.

Leaning on the countertop with her hand twisted around so it faced her gut, Nick made clicks and pops with her tongue in the form of some beat she liked to think was catchy. Ma looked up at her, one eyebrow arched, wordlessly commanding Nick to stop.

“So I heard your friend Allison’s got a job down at that insurance company,” Ma said with a high, sweet lilt in her voice. “Maybe you oughta go by and –”

“Ma, I haven’t talked to Al in years. Don’t even remember what she looked like,” Nick sighed. She waved her hands above her head, collapsed into the chair with a dramatic huff. From the second Nick walked in through the door, Ma bombarded her with “suggestions” on how Nick could bounce back from what her mom perceived as dropping out.

Ma leaned back, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling in a zoned-out flashback. “She was the blonde girl, sorta round in the face, a little loud,” Ma said.

“Nah, that was Amber. Al was the one with the flappy rack,” Nick said. Her mother gasped and swatted a hand at her daughter, lips pursed together in disgust and disappointment.

“Well, it’s true! It was like she breastfed a whole nation.”

“Now you know I don’t like that talk in my home, and I think you oughta go to your room,” Ma snapped. She shook her head, muttered something to herself. Later she would ask Nick if she’d been praying nightly – Nick could already her mother’s eyes flicking to the side where the bible with the cracked spine sat waiting to be used for a guilt trip.

“For Christ’s sake, Ma, I’m a grown woman. When you gonna stop talking to me like that?” Nick pleaded, a little too whiney for her liking.

“When you start acting like one.”

“Ma, don’t give me that. You know I’m trying my best,”

“Well… you don’t always,” Ma quietly retorted. Barbara “Ma” Rossum, always the woman to demand respect and always serve it cold. It was a jibe at Nick returning home; she knew it. A low blow, entirely expected. It was enough to silence Nick and feel a pang in her gut.

Ma didn’t understand Nick’s insistence to return home. She belonged to the generation that believed anxiety was make-belief. Ma believed if you wanted to succeed at life, you had to try. And Nick collapsing beneath that anxiety meant she didn’t want to try. It was taboo in the Rossum household, and Nick was bringing up things that shouldn’t be spoken of. Ma loved Nick greatly, there was no doubt about that. But Ma didn’t love being confused or wrong. Nick’s anxiety was confusing and wrong.

At that moment, their would-be fight was interrupted by the heavy bass of Nick’s ringtone butting in for a musical break. Sliding it from her pocket, Nick saw Ted’s name and number.

“… yo, I swear, it’s the same chick you like from that show!” Ted proclaimed.

“What show?”

“That show with the guys who do that cop shit!”

“Teddy, if you’re lying out your ass right now…” Thankfully Ma left the room, missing out on the opportunity to scold her for that beautiful word.

“Swear to God, Nick, it’s that girl with the forehead.”
It was all Nick needed to hear. Within moments, her shoes, sweater and scarf were on and she was bounding out the door, down the steps and feeling like an eagle honing in on the finest prey it could ever ask for.

~*~

And maybe Nick got a little too tipsy after losing track of the best over-the-top TV actress. The family used to watch the crime drama show, and Nick and Ted just couldn’t get enough of the actress’s poor attempt at being serious. They spent every episode laughing over her, creating legions of inside jokes over her. Meeting her would have been a dream-come-true.

It didn’t last; the woman left, but Nick stayed. With her in tow, Ted med up with a group of friends and bar-hopping ensued late into the night. Somehow, Ted and the boys – who Nick had great conversations with – left Nick behind with the girls of the pack. There were no common interests – they all clothes talk, gossip and boy hots, and Nick more about zombie survival plans and explaining the complexity of Redstone in Minecraft. It was no surprise that the girls, with their nicely done makeup and fine hair, saw Nick as a tagalong pariah. It didn’t help that Nick kept trying to insert witty comments long after they stopped acknowledging her.

It was way past two in the morning when the bar closed and they were asked to leave. Stacy, the nicer girl, offered to drive Nick home. Nick was drunk; she shouldn’t have believed herself when she said she was fine to walk. It was only a few blocks away anyhow, said the at-bliss half of her mind. And the girls were not that keen on bringing Nick around. Perfect for both sides.

That was how she found herself strolling through a park, hands thrust in her pockets, a wily smile on her face as she got stuck in a rut of introspective admiration. The world might not want her to carry on strong down the path she couldn’t pave in one day, and she was okay with that. Ma might be on her back about it, but Nick knew she would come around. And she, too, would be okay with that. It would take time to feel like her place in the world was written in stone and she could marvel at the cursive loops her name in that glistening marble plaque. It wouldn’t be right now; it may never be “right now”.

And she was okay with that.

Alcohol always did help bring out the consoling, bullshitting philosopher in her.

In the morning when she sobered up and remembered who she was and where she was at, all of that would mean absolutely nothing.

The sketchiness of a man lurking just beyond the pathway made Nick’s heart pick up pace, her gait reflecting that urgency to not stop. Was she afraid to be out so late at night by herself? Yes. It wasn’t a smart move, and she kicked herself for being a dummy. She fished out her phone from her pocket and began to haphazardly scroll down the contact list, looking for Ted’s number when a collection of voices hummed just ahead like jittery white noise steadily growing louder. More excited.

Nick glanced up and saw a group of people standing in the tennis courts before someone her mind couldn’t process, their shadows stretching long across the ground. They all faced that one person, and that person didn’t look right – something was off. Squinting her eyes with her head cocked to the side, Nick watched from afar. The figure spoke, a voice like a human but not like how humans speak.

And then the flash of green and yellow emerged from beneath the shawl she cast aside, and Nick let out a snort and an amused laugh. Nick was no stranger to LARPing, but even this was a little corny.

The people ahead visibly gasped and their interest swelled. It increased exponentially when –

The blood rushed from Nick’s face and fell heavy into her stomach; it was that feeling of sinking disbelief. She may have lost control of her bowels for a second, but the chokehold of the booze was too mighty to let her notice. It left her mind too hazy to really concentrate on what looked like a spacecraft appearing from between the trees it bent. Nick may have stopped breathing when she saw it; her heart may have stopped beating. All she could do was stare at it like a deer in the headlights.

The people began to move towards it, and the orange and yellow woman suddenly looked less like a cosplayer and more like something Nick had mixed emotions about. Terror, confusion, intrigue, giddiness. But she felt drawn to it. To the woman, to the ship, to the people who were awestruck by the magic of the scene. And foolishly, Nick stepped out from where she stood, let her drunken feet rediscover coordination and bring her closer. She had to get closer, to see it for herself. There weren’t a lot of thoughts in her head then. At no point did she consider running for her life or film it for evidence. Like any rubber-necking human would do, Nick let the curiosity embrace her whole.

When she got close enough that she was just beyond the outer layer of the group of people gathered around, she listened to the multi-colored woman speak. It made Nick feel comfy, like bubble wrap enveloped her. Nick was a happy drunk, and this woman made Nick giggle.

Nick wondered if it was a dream she found herself in. She was too drunk to tell, or else believed she was too drunk to want to listen to reason. The colorful woman had a nice, airy allure to her that Nick found entertaining. So when she beckoned the group forward, Nick didn’t hesitate. It could’ve been the naïve sense of adventure churning in the pit of her belly; it could’ve been idiocy brought on by the alcohol still making her feel like she could float when, really, she hit the ground too hard. Whatever it was… she knew, as she treaded on the heels of the group pushing forward, that this moment would be a go-to party tale of “that night”.

(double post - sorry!)

The reactions of the crowd were varied but she was just thrilled to have more than two people show up.

One girl began to babble about something but it was quite difficult to understand much of the words but Qyx did her best to just nod while she mentally tried to decipher the collection of frantic words. She then calmed down and asked how she did it which caused Qyx to swallow nervously, her face blushing a light shade of aqua. "I didn't..." The question was odd for her, since the act of cloaking her ship was not difficult but she reminded herself that Earth's technology wasn't anywhere near that of her home. "It has to do with at atomic structure in the air, as well as how they comprise themselves." She began to explain. "The ship itself is made with elements you could find here but on XYD, we've been able to-" Qyx was cut off when a male approached her. "Plants?" She almost thought he said pants. L was a tricky letting in some words. "Oh yes, you can bring whatever you like."

Qyx glanced to the plant and smiled. "She's lovely, I have a room which would suit its needs, yes." She said sweetly. Two people, a man with straggly hair and another with short hair wandered towards it, as did a female. They were relatively quiet, as well as the boy who spoke up. "If you're ready, we should leave now." Qyx said and made her way towards the ship. Its long tail flicked slightly at the invitation of taking off. Qyx patted the sleek exterior as she let everyone else get on, walking up the long ramp which led them into the main hallway of The Connection. As everyone entered, she saw a few people just linger in the tennis court and she closed the door, taking their silence as a decline toward her invitation. Once everyone was on, she led them back down the long hallway towards the observation deck which was located on the upper part of the ship.

Jen was quick to get on and was the first to line up behind the alien. Devon linger back behind the others and looked over his shoulder, still unable to believe he was getting on a ship, destined for somewhere else. He didn't hear anyone speaking but he assumed everyone else was in the same boat, er ship, as he was. They were either stunned or shocked. Either way, this joke was huge or they were really in over their heads. Devon saw the old woman looking around, nearly bursting at the seams. Up ahead, a staircase came from above and they began to go up it. They were now in a large room with a glass round ceiling. From the outside, it would appear normal, but to them it was a window to space and all its wonders. "This is amazing." Jennifer said as she took a seat. There were many couches and chairs randomly situated in the observation deck.

There was even a small 360 degree bar in the center which had several alien potions and drinks for relaxation and enjoyment.

"Connector, please take us into Earth's orbit." Qyx said as she motioned for people to get comfortable. "I've never had this many adventurers." Qyx admitted nervously and fiddled with her brown garment before she just set it on the back of a couch. She then began to fiddle with her top, not finding it very comfortable either. "I thought we could get to know each other before we pick out rooms." She said to the group. Devon took a seat beside Jen and looked around at the collection of people who had also bravely set foot on the space ship. Qyx remained standing as the ship eased itself off of the planet, "Reactive the cloaking device, we can't let anyone see us kidnapping a bunch of Earthlings." She said and laughed a little at her joke. "I'm kidding, you're all free to leave whenever you want. The posters I distributed explained that, as well as your health being your responsibility as well."

"Space is dangerous and I don't know as much as I should which is why I explore it and why I'd love others to experience it with me."

"So where are you from?" Devon asked, raising his hand a little.

"I'm from XYD." Qyx said, which sounded like the word Sid but with a D instead. "It's a nice place, I'd love to show you sometime, if you'd like." She said.

"What about the atmosphere temperance? Surely your air and ours are different, how could you breathe on Earth so easily? Your skin suggests you're-" Jennifer began to ramble and Qyx opened her mouth to explain.

"I have this." She tapped her collar bone and a silver necklace appeared. "It's called a...Lifesaver, this model is the best and it helps you adjust to new climates, it blends in with your skin, it has some terrific features." She paused to think about her English. "I'll be giving you all one." She just concluded. "So what are your names? What should we know about you?" Qyx suggested, trying to get them to talk a bit more.

"I'm Jennifer Rather, I've made great strides in astrophysics. I needed to find a new direction in life and here I am."

"I'm Devon, originally from London. I like to bake, hate heights." Devon rubbed his neck and glanced up as the ship continued to slowly rise. Before he knew it, they were now in space. He saw an abyss of blackness and other dark colors. There were brilliant strands of gold and green too. Stars were everywhere. Devon wasn't fond of heights but somehow this wasn't freaking him out. He glanced toward the bar, finding his lips a little parched. "What sort of drinks do you have?" He asked, hoping he wasn't too rude.

"I could...make something from XYD if you'd like. Anyone else want some? Or have anything to say?" Qyx asked, smiling easier now that they were back in space, slowly drifting around the blue planet known as Earth.

Linda stayed rigid, still frozen in shock as Qyx went on to (sort of) explain how the ship’s cloaking device worked. Ordinarily, the explanation would’ve still sounded like sci-fi technobabble… but the fact that she’d just seen a fucking space ship materialize in the air out of nowhere sort of prevented her from thinking that way. Her eyes stayed glued to the ship as she watched its tail swish like an excited housepet, and as a long ramp came down from the entrance to welcome them all aboard. Just like in the movies… she replied internally, still stunned by the whole thing.

As the others filed on board, Linda hesitantly followed — not wanting to be left behind in all this craziness. While, logically, it would probably make more sense to not get on board a mysterious should-be-fictional spaceship owned by an alien stranger whose true intentions may very well be hidden… but her curiosity just dragged her in. She followed the others inside a bit nervously, keeping her head down as she still struggled to take it all in, finding her surroundings absolutely breathtaking.

Finding a place to sit down, Linda grew rigid in fright at the word “kidnapping”, but tried to relax as Qyx said she was kidding, her fear flowing out of her in the form of nervous laughter. “So, wait,” she spoke up. “You said we were going into orbit. Does that mean we’ll all be weightless? Or is this like all those sci-fi movies and shows where everyone has ‘artificial gravity’?” she asked, making air-quotes as she said the words “artificial gravity”. “In fact, are we in space right now?” she asked, getting up from her seat in search of a window.

Overwhelmed with all her own questions, Linda found herself a bit too distracted to answer many of Qyx’s, having completely forgotten to even share her own name.

Nathaniel stood where he was, thinking about what to do. He could turn back right now, content with the fact that he had just met with what was likely a human's first legitimate encounter with an extraterrestrial being, or he could board the ship and go on an adventure of a lifetime. As he did so the alien seemed to be struggling with the small crowd that was attempting to ask her several different questions at the same time. A moment later, however, the alien turned towards all of them.

"If you're ready, we should leave now."

With that, the alien started walking towards its ship. Nathaniel panicked slightly as various worries came to mind. What if something would happen, and he wouldn't be able to return? What if... He composed himself, as valid as these concerns seemed to be, he could not pass up an opportunity like this. He followed behind the others, and as the door to the alien's starship closed behind him, he took one last look back at the tennis courts. He spotted a handful of people who chose to stay behind, likely stopped by the same worries that he had faced a moment ago. Nathaniel turned back around and followed the group of people following the alien. After a short walk, the sleek metal hallways opened up to what Nathaniel assumed was an observation deck. He assumed that they hadn't left Earth yet, but the huge domed ceiling of the observation deck offered an impressive view of some area of space. While the design of the room was like nothing he had seen on Earth, it seemed to be rather accommodating for humanoid lifeforms, judging from the shape of the seating arrangements scattered around the place. After taking another look around the place, he took a seat near the others. The alien addressed something named "Connector," which seemed to be the name of the ship they were on, and despite its request to bring them into Earth orbit, he didn't feel any of the signs associated with something rising off the ground, like you would on a plane. Before he could think about that too much, the alien asked them to introduce themselves.

After the others finished talking, Nathaniel finally introduced himself to the group of people on the ship.

"I'm Nathaniel, a mathematician who just recently finished his master's degree. You may call me Nathan if you wish." He turned towards Qyx, "You say space is dangerous, but it's not like there's anything out there to get us, right?"

"She's lovely, I have a room which would suit its needs, yes." Maverick performed an ecstatic fist pump at her response. He then felt eyes homing in on the back of his cranium and he craned his neck around to survey the lifeforms standing around him, and the world he would leave behind. His gaze was studious and composed as he analyzed them. None of them, in his opinion, were as remarkable as the alien in their midst. Or even his darling sinsemilla Sydney. Tsk he mentally scoffed.
"If you're ready, we should leave now."
At her mention of departure he took one deep gulp of air, that human infested smog that permeated off of the New York city concrete cooled by the morning chill, and a resolute smile spread across his face. Then he turned forward to follow Qyx up to her ship while admiring its design as well as the rest of her "form". Maverick deviously chuckled as he ambled along closely behind.

Maverick followed the alien as she beckoned the group onto the ship. His silence was admiration as the interior of the ship unfolded into his view. Space was awaiting as The Connector lifted off and exited Earth's atmosphere. The sensation was gentle compared to the liftoff of a commercial airliner, Maverick was awed at the efficiency of her technology. He quit listening to even Qyx and he forgot to take a seat, too busy admiring space and the view of Earth. Conceptually, he had always been aware of the insignificance of humanity in the cosmos, that it stretched like a beach along the ocean and Earth was merely a grain in the sand. But this view... emotion welled in Maverick's core and it did cause him to shed a single tear as he stood, ripped apart by the need to laugh joyously. It took every fiber of his being to contain his composure, but a single tear and his brimming smile was evidence enough.
"I did it bro." He whispered to himself, still not caring about the others. The abyss that he was staring at was staring back, he could feel it, and it made his blood boil with excitement.

"So what are your names? What should we know about you?" Maverick was pulled from his mind's wanderings. Still standing, he patiently listened to the group and their introductions, although half his attention was aimed like a laser beam at Qyx, as he stood only a few steps away from her. Maverick made a mental note to conspire with Devon and utilize his baking skills to make "special" brownies. What's the point of space faring without a psychedelic experience? Although, he wondered if floating in space would be similar to an isolation tank. No sensations, no gravity. Just the cold vacuum and the endless expanse to stare at.
Maverick did admire Jennifer though, more so than any of the other humans. He was an old soul given the spring time body of youth, so he always felt more comfortable around older people. The nameless brunette seemed too riddled with anxiety to even pay attention and introduce herself. And then there was the worried mathematician, Nathaniel, whom Maverick was unimpressed with.

"You say space is dangerous, but it's not like there's anything out there to get us, right?"

"Life's dangerous brotato chip," Maverick halfway scoffed, interjecting because he believed the question was too insignificant to waste time on, "Anyways, my name is Maverick. This is Sydney." He outstretched the potted pot plant in his arms so that everyone could see her, the immature marijuana plant extending her leaves towards the pure sunlight unfettered by Earth's atmosphere, "She's my baby. Intergalactic Lemon. I'm totally meant for this journey, milady," he turned towards Qyx with dramatic flair, bowing his head with his plant clutched at his abdomen, "I humbly thank you for this once in a lifetime opportunity. You are my hero."

"Now when do we eat?" :D

When the multicolored woman suggested they leave, Nick stumbled forward in a drunken stupor, nearly body-checking one of the men in front of her. She was thankful that he hadn’t noticed. Not unlike Nick, everyone else had seemed to have eyes only for the vibrant woman and the ship ahead of them. Nick herself had still been double-crossing either side of the war on reality and dreaming; she couldn’t decide if she accepted what was happening as real or not. There were a few times in the past she lapsed into a lucid dream, and this entire episode of discovering a supposed alien had felt no different than the one time she had a lucid dream involving the entire movie cast of Les Miserables.

There was a different sort of emphasis on the “les” part that time.

Before the world below them had vanished entirely, Nick had looked back at the people still watching. Up until her last few moments of consciousness, she remembered wondering if this would end up on the news. Ma would be one of the first to know; she would probably call Nick, telling her all about it and not letting Nick hang-up or getting a single syllable in. Would this be the moment in history when humans became fully aware of an alien presence, or would it be yet another viral Youtube video?

‘Maybe no one will ever know.’

That was Nick’s last thought as she collapsed into what she assumed was a seat.

~*~

Whether it was turbulence, poor posture or something else, Nick awoke when the abrupt jolt of falling gave her a heart attack. Bleary-eyed and panicked, she sat up straight. Nothing made sense in that moment; nothing could be comprehended – it was all just useless data being uploaded to her mind that found no importance to her. For that microsecond of fleeting fear, there were no thoughts in her head or general curiosities. It was just uncertain terror.

And then she saw Qyx.

Ma once told Nick about her father. He was a good man who died young. Ma liked to remind Nick that she shared many qualities with him – the untimely and insensitive humor being one of them. The other trait Nick inherited from her dad was the ability to sleep off drunkenness in a power nap and not feel any pang or tinge of a hangover. So when Nick came to, the clouds that blanketed her brain filtered out through her ears and the cogs in each lobe began to run normally once more.

And when she saw Qyx, it hit Nick like a bullet.

“Oh, Jesus…” Nick whispered to herself. Her heart skipped a few beats and her eyes went wide. That dawning realization as to what she had gotten herself into nearly made her pass out. Both of her knees felt unglued from all of the rattling, and her hand couldn’t help but cup her mouth that insisted on hanging open in shock. Icy roots had snaked along her body, slipped into her nervous system and froze every bit of her, fastening her to the chair. “Oh, sweet fuckity Jesus,” was the only other thing she could manage to force out in a flimsy gasp.

A man had just finished bowing his head towards Qyx, spouting out some formal words of gratitude. He was holding a plant – nope, he was holding a marijuana plant, and Nick was wild enough to know it but dumb enough to not know what to do with it.

Yep, the man was holding drugs.

He was speaking too properly for anyone normal.

They were all looking at the pretty, orange lady.

She was “the hero”.

They were told they were going to outer space.

‘Ho, shit… is this some cult?! Oh, damn… Oh Christ, Nick… you goofed hard this time,’ Nick thought as she glanced wildly around the room. She continuously shook her head slightly, the disbelief amounting to something unbearable. Was it normal to feel so hot?

The many times she watched those detective shows dealing with psychotic criminals taught her one thing: don’t draw suspicion. So when there was a slight lull in the conversation and she felt the pressure riding heavy on her shoulders, she spoke and hoped the waver in her voice went undetected.

“Indeed – uh, thanks, hero. Shit’s – um, this, ‘scuse, is a grand opportunity I am… pleased to partake in. My condolences,” she announced. Within the confines of her overactive mind, she wondered if “condolences” was the right word to use, and immediately she knew her cover was blown. “I’m Ni –” ’Don’t give them your real name! “– chelle… Pratt.”

At least her obituary would be an interesting one.

The first person to raise a question was someone who had yet to introduce themselves but Qyx answered her question regardless of identity. "Oh no, everything inside will remain as it, no matter the gravity of other planets or space itself. Of course if you'd like to try your hand at moving around in a purely weightless situation, it would be possible to find a room that could accommodate you safely for say, fun." She replied, trying to keep her words. Then she turned to the next person, a male who called himself Nathan. He seemed interested in mathematics though she wasn't quite certain what he meant by mastering some sort of degree. It was evident that her knowledge of Earth speech and word patterns had some holes. "Oh..." Her confident faded momentarily when he asked about whether or not something was out to get them. Someone was quick to speak up and for some reason the word 'brotato chip' made her laugh slightly.

What did it mean? She wasn't sure but it tickled her ears.

The person with the plant continued on and gave his funny introduction. Qyx smiled to Maverick and could tell her was happy to be aboard The Connection. Her worries were once again, evaporated. "Thank you for your company." She said to him before looking back to Nathan. "I wish I could provide," She paused to address the word she used. It seemed correct. "a more reassuring answer for you but I honestly do not know about what is lurking in the darkness. There are so many things to discover and...unconer. The unknown should be seen as beautiful, not poten...potentially harmless." Qyx told Nathan, danger was everywhere as Maverick had mentioned but she couldn't further her studies if she worried about everyone alongside her. She hoped those who braved followed her, weren't already regretting their decision.

Next attention turned toward a woman who had taken a seat. Her mannerisms were very odd and made Qyx rather uncertain as to whether or not the female was alright or in some medical distress and needed assistance. "Nichelle?" She questioned and looked toward the others, wondering if such a name was normal for humans to give one another. "It's very good to meet you." Qyx said and looked toward those who still had yet to speak up. Since it appeared that those who could, had spoken up, she decided it was time to make some drinks. Maybe that would help everyone mingle together. "If you are curious about other worldly cuisine, you're happy to take a look." She said though her gaze was on Devon, the one with the accent who seemed interested in cooking as well as food itself. Qyx strolled over to the bar and began snagging various bottles off the shelf.

As she began mixing liquids, Devon glanced toward the bloke with the weed.

Did Qyx know what it was or did she just not care?

Jennifer looked over to the strange girl on the couch who was having a bit of a crisis but she hesitated to approach her for now so instead, Jen turned to Nathan. "Where did you study?" She asked him, curious as to befriend another lover of numbers and exploration. She understood his reservation when it came not knowing if some massive aliens were lurking, waiting for food, but she hoped he would learn to think in another light, a brighter one. Devon slowly migrated to where Qyx was making drinks though he was still a bit peckish but felt weird about asking for food, unlike Maverick.

"Do you need any help?" He asked Qyx as she poured a purple/orange liquid into small glasses which would normally house Port or other after dinner drinks.

"No thank you, Devon." She replied, trying to remember everyone's names. She looked up and smiled at him and he stepped back, surprised by their eyes locking so suddenly. "You're free to experiment." She added as she handed him the tray. He just nodded and went back to everyone. When he turned back to Qyx, she was gone. He looked around the massive observatory but didn't see her anywhere. He wondered if there were trap doors that he should be aware of. He shrugged and went back to the others and handed out drinks to those interested in them. He set the silver tray down and picked up a round glass and smelled its contents. It was fruity but fresh, not cloyingly sweet like some drinks. Devon took a sip and found it delicate and tasted like something he had never had before. He smelled it again and took another drink, intrigued. The drink was light and had flavors of sourness, sweetness and aromas he couldn't figure out.

Clearly this was made of non-Earthly ingredients and it excited him.

Jennifer was less slow to taste hers, she took a large swig and swallowed it, pleased to feel her body already more energetic and reactive. Jen took another drink and smiled. Whatever it was, she liked it. "This very good!" She exclaimed, hoping to say thanks to Qyx but then noticed she wasn't around. "Qyx?" She looked around and frowned, not sure what to think of the vanishing act. Just then Qyx came from another direction, holding another tray but from the looks of it, it was food, rather than another round of drinks. "Where'd you go?" She asked.

Devon kept quiet, though interested too.

"I went to get these." She answered plainly and showed them some oddly shaped things which could be compared to bars or cookies. They were all different shapes, not at all uniform. They were dark brown with specks of lighter brown on top. Devon wondered if it was chocolate but something told him it probably wasn't. Of course the way they had been conditional might make eating weird things hard but he picked up one that was the odd shape of a pentagon while Jennifer snagged a triangle one. He took a small bite and chewed. It wasn't chocolate exactly but it almost was. It had something crunchy like a nut and it tasted like a mixture of chocolate, coffee and something else to marry the earthy and sweet tones together. Qyx took a round one for herself, in her free hand. It was nerve-wrecking for her to introduce them to new things but so far, no one was objecting to what she had picked. "I hope they're to your liking, though everyone has different tastes and ideas of enjoyment."

"No no, don't worry." Devon tried to assure her as he finished his. "We're not here expecting things we know and eat every day." He pointed out and glanced to the others.

"Well said." Jen agreed and Qyx smiled brightly.

"Look." Qyx then looked up and now clouds of space dust, stars and planets came into clear view. They were now beyond Earth and its solar system. Her heart always jumped at the sight of such vast wild landscapes. "So many colors and lights, without the dark empty space, we wouldn't be able to see such fantastic views."

Linda nodded slowly as she listened to Qyx’s explanation of the ship’s artificial gravity (or, resistance to gravity? Resistance to lack thereof? Something like that), as she still struggled somewhat to take the whole situation in. “Uh-huh…” she spoke in response, her voice sounding rather dazed and distant as her mind struggled to process everything still. She then shook her head briskly as she tried to pull herself back to reality, or wherever-the-hell she was. Searching for something at least mildly intelligent to say, she realized she hadn’t yet introduced herself.

“Oh and, um, my name’s Linda by the w- …wait is that an alien bar?” she asked as Qyx approached the drinks. “With alien liquor?” Given the circumstances, Linda wasn’t sure whether she should be more concerned with the fact that she was suddenly surrounded by alcohol — which she’d never tried before and she was a bit hesitant about starting right then and there — or the fact that she’d actually just said “alien liquor”. Absurdity of the phrase aside, it quickly made Linda wonder, Why is ‘alien liquor’ even a thing? Would alcohol even exist on other planets? How? Why? And why is that bar so earth-like? For that matter, why does this alien like earth so much? Earth kind of sucks. Humans kind of suck. But despite all that I’ve just been scooped up by an alien with a fully-stocked bar ready to take us on extra-terrestrial adventures and wait hold on a second does that guy have a pot plant? Shit. Space weed. Space weed is a thing in my life now. What is even happening. And who brings marijuana into space anyway? And why… she continued to let the stream of questions run through her head as events continued around her. She didn’t even notice right away when Qyx brought out that tray of cookie-like things.

She did, however, notice when the group was suddenly looking at all sorts of stars, planets, and the dust of the cosmos came into view. “Woah woah woah wait!” she exclaimed, racing towards the windows. “How… how far have we gotten from Earth already?!” she asked, astounded, while the voice in her head berated her for it. Wait, this ship probably moves faster than light or something… of course… how did I not think of that? She breathed heavily while looking out at the cosmos, the amazing sight starting to fill her with a sense of wonder that almost suppressed the instinctive panic that came over her when she realized how far she’d been whisked from her home planet. Almost. Mixed emotions swirling in her head, she couldn’t bring herself to do much else but stare. I’m really glad I thought to pack a toothbrush…

Nathan quietly considered the alien's response. While he didn't intend for that question to be entirely serious, it seemed that the alien at least took it seriously. While it would have been interesting to hear if there actually was any sort of active hostile forces out there, it was somewhat reassuring that not even the alien, who he assumed had some past experience with interstellar exploration, had no answer to his question.

Nathan's attention drifted over to where the alien had moved to, and was seemingly preparing some sort of extraterrestrial beverages. He heard food mentioned as well, but he wasn't hungry, and he was never interested in alcoholic beverages. Even if the stuff on this ship was different, it probably had some sort of similar effect. Fortunately somebody decided to start talking to him, while being on this alien starship was amazing, his lack of sleep caused his attention span to shorten significantly. He turned to the voice, and it was somebody he think introduced herself as Jennifer or something. He was never good with names, and the fact that he recalled hers surprised him somewhat, which caused him to pause for a moment before speaking.

"I studied at the University of Minnesota, on the Duluth campus. It's honestly pure coincidence that lead to me getting on this ship, since I was only in New York to visit some friends at a nearby convention. Another day or two and I would've been back in Minnesota, and none of this would've happened."

He turned a bit towards one of the ship's many views of outer space, and seeing it made him think about where they were headed, as the alien never said anything specific about where they would be going first. He heard another person on the ship voice a similar concern, but instead about how far they had gotten from Earth, although he couldn't pin a name on the voice.

DOUBLE POST

TRIPLE POST

"Thank you for your company."
Oh yeh! Scored some brownie points. Maverick grinned internally. Qyx began to make them drinks, which Maverick wasn't entirely interested in because it was solid food he craved. His gaze was instead directed at the spooked animal aboard with them- Nichelleprat? Maverick had been all over the world and never heard of such an absurd name. He glanced over her features once more, and from the vibe he was getting, she must have felt completely out of place. Maverick sighed, I hope I'm not joined in this journey with some pretty hapless and hopeless humans. That would be pathetic. Maverick turned back to find Qyx and get Sydney settled in, but she had vanished with almost ninja prowess.

And like a shinobi, she reappeared, and the goodies she brought with tantalized Maverick's mouth even from a distance. He immediately grabbed one without much inspection or thought. He took a bite as he clutched his plant in the crook of his arm. The sweetness and textures assaulted his mouth, and he smiled with a mouthful at those who were also enjoying the refreshments, namely Jennifer and Devon. Their presence seemed to be more comfortable than the other guests. He scarfed the appetizer down quickly with a groan of satisfaction. "Damn that was tasty." Although they'd taste so much better with a hint of Mary-J he deviously delighted in his plot and gave Devon a sort of sly criminal grin.

"Look."
The sight that unfolded above them made him forget the succulent after taste of the foreign food he had just enjoyed. He gasped in wonder, watching the nebulous interstellar gas clouds pass them by. Warm hues of apricot orange and lush violets and cold tints of lonely space blues and greens all permeated their view. He could almost see the bend of space because of how fast they were travelling. Planets came in and out of view as they passed them, and stars were closer than ever. Once again, the sight made Maverick slightly emotional, but this time he was stunned into silence.
But a man has priorities. He could guess that the various light spectra coming in from the myriad of stars they were travelling among would most certainly stress Sydney. This was definitely a matter that concerned him. So before Qyx could ninja-vanish once more, he approached her with this plant in his hands.
"So you said you would have suitable accommodations for my baby here? Could you show me where those are please?" he said with concern. He wasn't quite sure if Qyx knew what was required to grow a plant in a vegetative state, but he was positive he could make due with whatever she provided.

The girl finally introduced herself as Linda though Qyx went about her actions all the same.

Jennifer grinned at Nathan's comment about it being coincidence that he could even come. "Well there's no looking back. We're all a long way from home." She patted his back and looked to the others.

"Maybe some of us have homes out there that we have yet to discover." Devon spoke up, earning him a similar smirk from Jen.

As the group began to settle down either due to food and drink or the new view, Qyx found herself being asked about the places they could stay, particularly in regards to the plant Maverick had brought along with him. "Of course." She replied to him and then looked towards Nichelle. "I can take you all down now to settle in, if you'd like to come back up here afterwards, please." She informed them. "Come along." Qyx invited them and moved back toward where they had came up. A sleek thin but very sturdy staircase came back down to connect with the main floor of the ship where they had just been. Qyx looked over her shoulder to make sure everyone was still with her. Seeing that they were, the alien continued and moved down the hallway which began to light up with blue colored rounds silhouettes on the floor. The group moved past where they had entered the ship and kept walking until Qyx came to a stop. "Ah...Mmmm-Maverick, your plant may be suited here..." She spoke up, slightly uncertain.

If she had more information, she would have been able to make something tailored to the plant in a private, smaller room, but for now it would hopefully suit the owner's needs. She was about to open the room but stopped. "Lifesavers." She said under her breath and turned around to the group. "Ah...Connector, could you please bring us some Lifesavers and give them full access to the ship's rooms." Qyx spoke up. There were a few dings and a small chrome tray came down the hallway, floating by itself. The tray stopped in front of the leader and she gestured for everyone to take one of the silver devices. "These will permit you anywhere on the ship, as well as save you if the need arises." She told the humans. Jennifer stepped forward first and picked one up and studied it in her hands. It looked so ordinary, it was hard to believe such technology was right in front of her.

And she was in space! It was incredible, beyond words.

"Thank you." Jen said and put it on. Devon grabbed his and put it on, though he wanted to make a comment about how it didn't look right on a man, it vanished.

"What the..." He looked to Qyx. "What happened?"

"It doesn't need to be visible, if you don't want it to." Qyx replied and gestured to the door so Maverick could open it and see if it was alright. She stepped back and waited. The room's temperature was warm, not oppressive in any way. There were other plants growing, some were basking in the glow of other colored lamps and others were stored in a cooler environment. Devon nodded and stood around so they could continue soon. "For now, the rooms I have aren't very individualized but you are free to see what the computer has in storage, if there's anything you'd like in your room, it can be brought up if you ask Connector nicely." She told them. "For now I can program you each into the following..." She said and put her palm in front of her at a 35 degree angle and a light transparent screen could be visible flickering slightly. "Maverick, you're in room 9 which is next to this greenhouse room." It seemed convenient enough for him.

"Devon, you're in 10, Nichelle, you're in 11, Jen you're in 12, Linda you're in 13." She told them all. "They'll be down the hall on either side, they should have enough room for all of you to remain comfortable and at ease. Inside you'll find a monitor and keyboard in the corner which can let you view the ship as well as the outside view but I am more fond of the observation lounge." Qyx said. "If you need me, it'll be able to show you or let you summon me." She said and headed back down the hall they had came. Devon glanced to the others, not sure what he wanted to do. He wasn't tired though he knew he probably should be. He wondered where they were going but he assumed if people got some rest and rejoined later, Qyx might be able to fill them in on what was going to happen now. Jennifer meanwhile headed down to take a look at her room and drop her bag off. She approached the door with the number 12 and it opened for her.

A room of about 12x12 was presented. The walls were lavender colored and the carpet was white and fluffy. There was a bed in the middle and a small dresser. there was the console that Qyx had mentioned and Jen went right to it, too curious to wait. Jennifer dropped her bag beside the purple dresser and began to type, exploring the controls. She discovered that she could change the wallpaper to a light tan color, the lights could be dimmed on and off which were also programmed into the walls. It was very sophisticated and creative. Jennifer began to pour over the diagram of the ship and saw that no coordinates had been placed and that for now, they were floating through space. She then changed the screen so it could show her the view as if it were a window. Jen then headed out into the hallway and saw Devon had yet to move. "You okay?" She asked him.

"I don't think I could sleep if I tried." He told her.

"We could always wander around."

"That seems rude." The British boy considered.

"Ah...Mmmm-Maverick, your plant may be suited here..."

Maverick chuckled and nodded. It was cute when she had difficulty with the English language. He took the moment then to wonder about her own, and how foreign it would be to him. Exotic and outlandish. He could already imagine himself beginning a life on the verge of space with a vessel of his own with Qyx as his wench-maiden, voyaging with a cut-throat hardy crew aboard his space pirate ship. As he wandered through his wondering, a little chrome tray arrived with a stylish silver device which Qyx had called a Lifesaver. Maverick immediately fitted it around its neck. He wasn't one for caring about his appearance, but typically he enjoyed his accessories especially for their utility. Anything called a Lifesaver was automatically useful. Tracing over its sleek design he giggled a bit to himself like a giddy child. Qyx had explained it didn't need to remain visible, but Maverick had already made the choice, that if he was going to be in space, might as well look the part. He mentally noted that Jennifer, the old lady, was the only other person there who seemed genuinely fascinated by the device. Cool he thought to himself.

When Qyx gestured for Maverick to look at the greenroom he immediately ducked in without hesitation. He admired the room, she had Halid, Fluorescent, and even high pressure sodium bulbs for vegetative and flowering. The room even had nifty green lights which lit up on the floor, and ceiling, similar to the hallways, which would diffuse the incoming lights from the variety, and not interfere with the growth of the plants. He rubbed his chin, impressed, but his mind was already devising plans for improvement. He would need to build a make-shift cloning nursery, because of course, darling Sydney would be the mother plant. And that would allow him to continue growing marijuana from the Connector for as long as he was aboard. Maverick could already see himself selling weed among the cosmos, spreading the reputation of Earth ganja growers across the galaxy. Mwuahahahaha Maverick typically laughed maniacally in his head. His face was pulled into an odd expression that if anyone would have seen, they would have considered him deranged.

"Maverick, you're in room 9 which is next to this greenhouse room."

"Woohooo!! Thank you madame!" He responded as he prepped his setup. He made sure to clear all the other flora in the room away, and moved them and their lights to the edge of the room. It was also really convenient that they were on chrome wheeled tables and their light fixtures were on parallel beams which extended across the ceiling, which could be "unplugged" and fitted onto another socket (even the sockets were alien, but Maverick could understand that by design, they were meant to be simple). He nestled Sydney on a singular table in the middle, and noted that the room even had "spigots" that attached to the beams which (as he noted from the other plants) could be irrigated with tubing. Each spigot receptacle even had a timer notched right above it. Although, the timer itself, he couldn't quite yet understand. Maverick stood back in the doorway, admiring his quick setup, which would be perfected soon. He blew a kiss to Sydney and exited the room, only to notice Jen and Devon standing in the hall, discussing what to do next.

"We could always wander around."

"That seems rude."

"I agree with Jennifer. My vote goes for wandering." Maverick flashed them a broad smile and waved casually as he approached them.